Staff report
Members of the Tuscaloosa County Bar Association gathered Thursday on the front steps of the Tuscaloosa County Courthouse for the group’s annual reading of the Declaration of Independence.
The reading has been a tradition for the group since 2012. Tuscaloosa County District Attorney Hays Webb has said during past gatherings that reading the text aloud serves as important reminder of what the Fourth of July celebration is all about.
By issuing the Declaration of Independence, adopted by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, the 13 American colonies severed their political connections to Great Britain. The declaration summarized the colonists’ motivations for seeking independence and the document served as a major step in the formation of the United States of America.